Out of the Depths
by jlybelly
Summary: One-shot, written from prompt: How about some interaction between Tahno and Korra after the former's bending is taken away? Tahorra. Rated T for Mild Language, Disturbing Scenes, Disturbing Themes
1. 1 Out of the Depths

**Disclaimer: I do not own Korra, Tahno, Amon, or any other element of Legend of Korra you may find in this story. It is written purely for my own amusement, and now I'm sharing it with you. Please enjoy!**

**Prompt: ****How about some interaction between Tahno and Korra after the former's bending is taken away? (from tumblr)**

**Most of my fanfictions are written from prompts I receive on Tumblr. If you would like to request a prompt, you can message me directly, here, or go to my rp blog on tumblr, freshkorra. Thanks!**

He wasn't sure how long he had been out. He remembered very little, and what he did remember, he didn't want to.

The masked was permanently etched into his mind. The eyes—those horrible, yellow slits of eyes—pierced his memory.

Where was he? He wasn't sure. There was smoke, destruction, and silence. It seemed vaguely familiar, like he could have known it in a past life, but where ever he was, it was beyond recognition now.

He was locked in a fetal position on the floor. He hadn't realized it until that moment. His arms were shaking and pulling his knees uncomfortably tightly to his chest. White knuckles seemed glued to his legs.

_"____The era of bending is over!" _Oh, spirits, the words. They echoed like a scream in his mind. _"____The era of bending is over!" "The era of bending is over!" "The era of bending is over!" _He shut his eyes trying to block them out, but the mask returned to his imagination all too clearly.

A blood-red spot. Two topaz eyes. A haunting scream.

Suddenly, he realized he was out of breath. The scream stopped as he gasped for air.

That had been him screaming.

Slowly, he forced himself to relax. His hands released his legs, and he collapsed lamely to the floor. He forced himself up onto his knees, body quivering with the effort. As he sat up, his vision focused on bits and pieces of the surrounding area. A grate here, some circular holes there. Pieces that looked as though they once released supplies, now empty. Used completely.

The flashback hit him like a bolt of lightning. Shocked him. Sent him reeling.

The Pro-Bending Arena. The Tournament Finals. Amon. An ambush.

He had pulled the nearest bender to the floor. It was just Tahno's luck that it had been him. Amon's voice howled, _"____The Era of Bending is Over!" _Pressure was applied to his forehead and shoulder. Amon's eyes fixed on the waterbender's. Then Tahno blacked out.

The scene before him would never show the grandeur that the Arena had once portrayed. He couldn't imagine the battle that could have ensued.

It couldn't have been long ago. Dust, smoke, and debris still riddled the air of the once-great shrine to bending.

On weak legs, he stood. Surveyed the area. Just as he did, he noticed a soft, blue, angelic form float down onto the platform. With heavy bounds, she sprinted over to him.

"Did he take your bending?" Korra demanded.

Take his… bending? He hadn't thought…

"Here." Suddenly, in his hand was a cup of water. "Just make sure please."

Confused, he set the cup on the water on the ground, and casually went to lift the water in a stream.

Only it stayed exactly where it was.

Frantically, he tried a somewhat more elaborate move—an attempt to push the cup over with the force of the water inside.

But it didn't so much as shake.

Panicked, he tried every move he could muster before falling to the ground in front of him. Sobs racked his body.

A gentle hand caressed his back as he hunched over his own form. "It's okay, Tahno," she whispered. "You'll be fine."

"How?" he asked, swiftly turning to look at her as streams of tears lined his eyes. "I don't know who I am anymore!" he screeched. "Amon didn't take my bending—he took my ___identity_!" He groaned. "You don't understand, Korra. You can ___never_ understand what this is like."

The look of pity on her face. The way her shoulders fell. The shame in her demeanor as she looked down, away from Tahno. He could see that the words resonated with her deeply.

Guilt washed over him for how he treated her. She was just trying to help, and he'd screamed at her.

He carefully embraced her, afraid he was breaching personal space, but her arms snaked around his waist in return.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you, Tahno."


	2. 2 Falling Forward

She told him life would go on.

And, despite his deepest desires, it did.

Not in the sense that he got better, but in that life continued around him as he sat watching it from hollowed stares. So, yes, life went on. But he did not.

He doesn't know how long he stayed inside, afraid that Amon, although eventually defeated, would find him and discover new ways to haunt his dreams.

Nightmares he had to correct himself.

The words had become one in the same. He never dreamed except for when he had nightmares. So the first time he heard her knock on the door, he screamed. So used to the silence was he that the slightest sound (other than the hustle and bustle of the help) was alarming and frightening. Part of him was determined that it was Amon. That he was here to take something more precious than his bending. But he didn't know what.

As if treading on dangerous ground, his butler came into his room where he sat staring emotionless out at the city.

"Sir," the butler began quietly, cautiously, his voice slowly growing along with his confidence; "the young Avatar is here to see you."

Why?

That was his first question. Possibly one of the most complete and logical thoughts he had had in a long time.

"Okay."

He got up and headed down to where she was waiting for him. It was almost as if she had tattooed "Pity" on her forehead.

"What do you want?" Tahno asked, slightly agitated.

"To ask if you're okay," she answered firmly.

"I'm not. There's your answer. I don't need your pity, Oh-vuh-terr. You can leave."

"I'm not going to," Korra sad, stubbornly crossing her arms. "Not until you're okay."

"Well that's not going to happen." Tahno's eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed. A slight snarl set on his lips. "Not unless you can somehow get me my bending back."

Korra's demeanor broke down into pleading. "I can't, but I ___can_show you that there are other things in your life. More important than bending."

"Name ___one_!"

"Friends!"

"I don't have friends."

Korra seemed surprised. "What about those girls with you at the restaurant? Your teammates?"

"Spirits, Korra, how naïve can you be? They were my fans and my teammates. They liked me because of my power. I've got nothing. Not everything is puppy dogs and rainbows. Not everyone you see together are friends."

"I…"

"You what? Are you sorry? Do you want to help? Did you not know?" his voice grew in volume as he continued until he was screaming; "WAKE UP, AVATAR. THE WORLD IS DARK."

He watched as she shrank. Her shoulders slumped and her eyebrows pulled up sadly in the middle.

He wasn't even guilty. Not like he had been when he'd exploded on her at the arena. He didn't feel the need to comfort her. He needed her to know that what she was saying and doing was not helpful.

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

But at least he was feeling. He'd been empty for so long. Part of him—a very small part, admittedly—was glad that he was feeling. Even if it was pain.


End file.
